


The Husband's Age

by amusawale



Series: The Husband's Age [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, F/M, M/M, Married Sam Winchester, Post-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-19
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-02-04 03:06:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12761826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amusawale/pseuds/amusawale
Summary: Sam didn't go with Dean after Jess died. Things turned out different.





	1. The End

**Author's Note:**

> I was given a heading, told to write a romance. Let's see what happens.

The apocalypse was upon them without warning.

One minute Sam was walking to his Introduction to Criminal Law class, the next thing he knew the earth was literally rising up to swallow him whole. The fountain in front of the Dean's building flowed red with blood, the air was filled with chittering, the sound of insects everywhere. Locusts.

It was biblical.

He was almost expecting frogs to appear at his feet.

He hated frogs.

"Leslie!" he said before spinning around and running back in the direction of the apartment. He had been traumatized by the death of his fiancee, three years ago in a house fire. He'd thought he'd never love again but then Leslie came into his life. He'd been working in the campus library at the time because it enabled him to work and study at the same time. He didn't really talk to anyone much. All his campus friends were Jess' friends too. He felt like it was just as painful for them to see him as it was for him to see them.  So they'd drifted apart. Gone their own way. Life happened and so did shit.

Sam just wanted to forget.

He wanted to forget that he'd gone off with his brother that weekend. He wanted to forget that he hadn't been able to save her. He punished himself by pushing Dean away; blaming him for taking Sam away from the woman he wanted to spend his life with. For leaving her open and unprotected. It was easier to blame Dean than face his own guilt.

And now...the oceans were boiling and all he could think of was 'Save Leslie!'

He thundered up the stairs to their third-floor apartment. The door was half open and Sam's heartbeat accelerated in fear. 

"Oh God," he murmured, "Leslie!"

there was a shuffling sound from the bedroom and Sam darted in that direction. 

"Leslie!" she was sprawled on the floor, head bleeding, "Are you okay?"

Sam's hands were shaking. He didn't know what to do.

"Sam?" 

"Yeah? I'm here. Can you get up?"

"Uh yeah, I think so."

Sam helped her up and sat her on the bed. Then he ran to the bathroom to get the first aid kit. He wiped away the blood gently, seeing that it was just a gash even though it was bleeding like a motherfucker.

"What happened?" he asked softly as he worked.

"Didn't you feel the earthquake? I thought that's why you came back."

"Yeah, not an earthquake. Something's happenin' outside. Something big. We should probably get out of here." Sam said.

"And go where?"

' _Dean_ ' Sam thought, ' _Dean will know what to do.'_

"I don't know. I gotta call my brother maybe." Sam said.

"Why him? I thought he was some deadbeat?"

A bolt of anger ran through Sam. Sure he might have given her that impression, but nobody got to call his brother deadbeat but him.

"He's not. He's a bit of survivalist. He'll know what to do."

"Okay," Leslie said watching him skeptically, "Better call him before the lines cut out then don't you think?"

"Uh yeah," Sam said fishing his phone out of his pocket. 

He wondered how he was going to explain things. What had happened...Leslie. She'd come into his life like a hurricane, refusing to take no for an answer, practically forcing him to date her. She'd saved him from the endless cycle of guilt and recrimination he'd lived in. He owed her his life. Now he was going to have a chance to save hers.

_'This is Dean Winchester. I can't come to the phone right now. If this is a stranger things related emergency, call Bobby on 5957423040. He'll get the message to me. If this is Sam...poughkeepsie.'_

Sam gasped, hitting the 'end call' button on reflex. 

Poughkeepsie?

It was code for 'get the hell out of dodge'.

But...

Go where?

And why wasn't Dean answering his phone?

He remembered the rest of the message and decided to call Bobby. He might have some answers.

He was about to give up and hang up before Bobby answered.

"Heya Bobby, it's Sam."

"Heya Sam."

Bobby seemed unsurprised and unenthusiastic to hear from him. Sam couldn't blame him.

"Uh I tried to call Dean's phone but it went straight to voicemail-" Sam began.

"Yeah, Dean ain't available right now."

"Where is he?"

There was a silence on the line.

"Were you calling him about the signs of end times? I think I saw on the news California been experiencin' some upheaval."

"Uh...yeah we've had the earth exploding and what not. It's a little crazy. Do you know what's happening?"

"Sure."

Sam waited for Bobby to tell him but the old man said not a word.

"What is happening Bobby?"

"It's the apocalypse. I would have thought with those brains of yours, you'd have figured it out."

Sam was speechless.

"The apocalypse as in _the_ apocalypse?" he squeaked.

"Is there another one?"

"What...Wh- Are we doing anything about it?"

"Dean is."

"And Dad? Where's dad?"

Bobby sighed, "Your dad is dead boy. Been dead for almost a year now. If you picked your phone sometimes, you might know this."

Even with everything that was happening, Sam felt his heart sink into his shoes.

"Where is Dean?" he demanded.

"He's nowhere you can reach him son. Now get your ass out of California where the topography is unstable. Get yourself somewhere flat. Texas might do ya. Or the midwest somewhere. Stay away from geysers, canyons and rifts in the earth. It's where they're passing through."

"They?" Sam asked, his throat was so dry.

"Demons, son. Demons. Now quit talking and get to leaving. Oh and get a walkie-talkie; mobiles prolly gon' cut out soon."

"Where are _you,_ Bobby?" Sam asked. If the couldn't make the old man answer over the phone, he'd track him down in person.

"Where I always am boy, at home. Now get moving."

Bobby hung up and Sam stared at the phone in shock. It was...jarring to be spoken to in such a manner. Such hostility. He wasn't used to it.

"Well? What now?" Leslie asked standing up from the bed and coming over to take his arm.

"Now, we get out of California and to somewhere with flat land."

"What about my parents?"

"What about them?"

"We can't just leave them!"

Sam wanted to sigh heavily and emphasize how much time they did not _have_ but he knew how people got about family. 

"Fine." he said, "Let's go get them."

* * *

 

They rolled into camp Chitaqua six months later. They'd crisscrossed the midwest; Sam, Leslie, and her parents looking for a safe place to wait out the end of times. Every place they stopped, there was a problem. It wasn't always supernatural. Sometimes the locals had gone feral and tended to attack any strangers that ventured near. Other places were devoid of people, nature having taken over. They passed through a town overrun by hungry rats and with all the horror they'd seen and experienced, it was by far the most disgusting thing Sam had ever seen. The rats had taken over everything, digging up even buried bodies to eat. Their lust for human flesh had bloated them so much that they were the size of skunks rather than rats. Sam and his group had gotten out of there as fast as possible. 

They'd heard whispers of camp Chitaqua along the way. Sam had been out of the hunting life since he was eighteen years old. He was rusty, but he still knew how to look. If anyone had good intel, it would be hunters. Bobby wasn't the only hunter he knew. There were Pastor Jim, Caleb and a whole cohort of other hunters they'd come across on their travails. Hunters also tended to gather in certain places; roadside dives and no tell motels; seedy little gun shows where not too many questions were asked. Sam had to weapon up anyway; salt, holy water, guns...So he'd headed toward Caleb first, who'd told him how his father died, and how Dean had taken care of the demon that killed him.

"Same one that killed your mother I hear," he said sympathy in his eyes. 

Sam had nodded, feeling like the pain in his chest might kill him. while at the same time knowing there was no time for grief and pain. 

"Do you know where he is?"

"Who Dean?" Caleb asked with a regretful shake of his head.

Everywhere he went, he asked that question. And everywhere, he got the same answer. Wherever Dean was, nobody had a clue. Except maybe Bobby. Who wasn't talking.

They were stopped at the gate of the camp by a tall guy with piercing blue eyes and black hair. He looked at Sam like he knew him. But Sam knew he'd never seen this guy's face before.

"Can you fight?" the man asked.

Sam nodded, standing in front of his small group. Sure he was the only one who could fight, but the others could make themselves useful in other ways. But first, they needed to be let in. The man moved aside, directing them to make their way to a tent they could see not far away. Sam nodded with relief and began to walk.

To his right was a field where he could see drills taking place. Hand to hand combat and target practice. Somebody here knew what they were doing. But it wasn't a military camp. There was no government left. Hell half the country had fallen into the sea. People had collapsed and died from some weird disease that made them rabid before they died. Other people just seemingly disappeared. Many were possessed by demons. Hell, some just worked for demons, turning against their own kind in an effort to survive.

Leslie had become a pretty good shot in the times that they'd been traveling together. She'd helped keep her parents safe. But she still looked to him for everything; to look after them, to lead them to safety. He felt his shoulders slump with relief as he took in the organization in the camp. Maybe he could lay down the burden of being responsible for three lives all on his own now. Maybe here he could find help.

He bent his head to enter the tent and straightened up to see two women, one older and one younger; something about them very similar. Mother and daughter perhaps?

"Welcome." the older one said, "come in, take a load off. Have some water."

She pointed to some water bottles sitting on the table. She was watching him warily as he approached and Sam had a feeling that taking a drink wasn't a choice. It was mandatory. Somebody definitely knew what they were doing with this camp. He picked up a bottle and drained it. He was thirsty after all. He turned to Leslie, handing her a bottle.

"Drink," he said.

She looked at him uncertainly.

"Just do it." he whispered.

She took a tentative sip, as if she expected to be poisoned. And then drained the bottle. She was thirsty too. Sam let go of the breath he wasn't aware he was holding. Leslie's parents came in more slowly. They were tired from the adrenaline fueled flight from California. This was the first place that they might be safe enough to all sleep through the night. 

"Meagan? Kyle? Drink some water," Sam said handing them some bottles.

Leslie's parents gave the bottles twin looks of suspicion and Sam almost smiled. Like parents like daughter.

Meagan shook her head, "We're not thirsty," she said.

Suddenly there was a gun in her face, "Drink." the older woman said coldly. Sam tensed wanting to reassure the woman that they were alright but knowing already that she would not accept his word. She didn't know him after all.

Meagan slowly lifted the bottle to her lips, eyes on the gun in her face. She took a sip face beginning to smoke even before she had a chance to swallow. The younger woman immediately began to chant an incantation as Meagan began to shake, throwing her head back, mouth open. 

Nothing happened.

"Devil's trap bitch. The whole tent is in one," the older woman said with a bitter smile as the younger finished the incantation. Somewhere to his left, Leslie was screaming but Sam had no energy left to notice. His shock was complete. They'd been traveling with a demon. The tent shook as the younger woman reached the climax of the incantation and then Meagan Alexander's body fell to the ground.

The lady turned her weapon on Kyle. Sam had no breath to protest but heard Leslie's gasp from behind him. She'd dropped to the ground next to her mother's body. Sam could see that the woman was dead. How long?

How long had she been dead.

Kyle raised his hands.

"Please," he said, "Don't kill me. I could tell you things you need to know."

His eyes were black. 

Sam needed to sit down. He dropped to the floor next to Leslie, where she lay weeping over her mother's prone body. He stared at her blue eyes, azure with grief. He didn't think she had known. Hell, he hadn't known and he was supposed to be the expert. They'd crossed the salt lines for crying out loud!

the younger one was intoning the exorcism. Obviously they hadn't taken the offer.

"Wait," a deep rumbling baritone said from the doorway, "the demons right. He could tell us some things. Put him in cuffs."

Sam didn't have to look up to know who owned that voice. Hell, the way his heart had stopped beating was proof enough.

 

 


	2. Surprise Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> what's Dean been up to?

Dean walked out of the tent without acknowledging Sam. He had a feeling Sam didn’t know who was in charge here otherwise he might have turned and gone as far in the opposite direction as he could go.

Or maybe not.

He was traveling with two demons, very likely they had led him here.

“Dean!” he turned to see Jo running up to him, eyes shining. This was her first day manning the ‘welcome tent’ and she had got to exorcise a demon and put another in cuffs. It’s no wonder her cheeks were flushed and she looked like she’d just had an orgasm. And Dean knew exactly how she looked when she came so he wasn’t even guessing.

“Yeah?” he said unsmiling.

“You’re gonna interrogate the demon?”

“Of course.”

“Can I watch?”

“No.”

“De-”

“I said no Jo.” Dean said as he walked away. He did not have _time._ He fished out his satellite phone and punched in a number.

“Lo.”

“Yo Bobby, guess who just walked into camp today.”

“If it is who I think it is, don’t look at me, _I_ didn’t tell him where you were.”

“Who did then?”

He could feel Bobby’s shrug all the way in South Dakota, “Nobody I know. Could it be coincidence?”

“I don’t believe in coincidence.”

“So? What are you gonna do?”

Dean sighed, “I don’t know. Watch him I guess.”

Bobby sighed, “He was supposed to be out.”

“Yeah well, I guess things change.”

Dean hung up and strode over to his quarters. He had tools to collect if he was going to get anything out of that demon.

∞

Sam watched two guys drag the demon that was his erstwhile future father in law out of the tent. He was kind of shocked, although he couldn’t imagine why, that Dean had just walked out without a word to him. Yeah sure he’d been the one to sever ties between them but obviously circumstances had changed. Dean had never been one to hold grudges.

He looked up and opened his mouth to ask the lady with the gun where Dean had gone but then Leslie was there, falling into his arms, tears in her eyes.

“Do something,” she whispered even as two men came to drag her mother’s body away.

Sam stood up, “Excuse me, where are you taking her?”

“All bodies are burnt at sundown,” one of the men said as they continued dragging Meagan out. He wanted to protest. To say that that had been somebody’s mother. But all the bodies were somebody’s mother, father, friend, brother…They looked like they wouldn’t be too moved by his pleas.

“Uh, where’s Dean?”  he asked instead.

The woman with the gun turned to him, one eyebrow raised, “And how do you know that name?” she asked eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Sam immediately held out his hand to her, trying to hunch his shoulders so he took up less room, looked more harmless, “My name is Sam Winchester. Dean is my brother.”

Leslie gasped, “That was Dean?” she said.

“Yes.”

Sam’s hand was still hanging in the air waiting for the woman to take it. She did eventually, shaking it firmly, “Ellen” she said, “Ellen Harvelle.”

“Nice to meet you Ellen. Now, about my brother?”

Ellen shrugged, “I expect if he wants to see you, he’ll send for you.”

“Send…for me?” Sam asked. He’d known Dean must be a big deal around here just from the way his orders were immediately obeyed….but it looked like he might be the man in charge.

And if he was, was there any way that Bobby didn’t know that? That all the hunters he’d spoken to didn’t know? What was going on?

∞

The demon was chained to the ceiling, shackles around his neck and wrists. There was a devil’s trap on the floor and the ceiling as well as built in with a line of salt right into the floor of the house. No chances were being taken.

“So…demon, can I call you demon or do you have another name you prefer?”

“Call me…John.”

“No I don’t think so, but nice try trying to fluster me. I’m afraid you’re gonna have to do better than that. So, demon, what do you want with big and tall out there?”

“You mean your brother Sam? You wanna stand there and pretend like you don’t know? We know you’ve been hiding from Angels, _Dean_. We know why.”

The door of the room opened and Jimmy Novak came in. Dean lifted his eyebrows at the guy wondering what he was doing in the room. Dean hadn’t sent for him. Jimmy took a step to the side of the door, and folded his arms. Apparently he was staying…Dean was used to Jimmy’s…unusualness. Risa liked to say that he was maybe autistic but Dean was sure he was just weird.

The demon took one look at Jimmy and began laughing.

Dean watched him, eyes narrowed, not speaking.

“Guess you’re not doing such a good job of falling under Angel radar,” the demon said.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Dean asked tensing up. The whole point of this set up was for him to stay underground; safe from any supernatural anything that wanted to get at him. They hadn’t had the compound warded into invisibility for nothing…had they?

The demon’s eyes widened in surprise, “You _don’t know_ ,” he said cutting his eyes to Jimmy again, “Guess we’re not the only ones wanting to keep an eye on the moichandise eh angel?”

Dean stared at the demon, following his line of sight to see who he could possibly be talking to. Did demons go crazy? Or could he see something they couldn’t? Surely  he wasn’t talking about… _Jimmy?_ Weirdo Jimmy? Maybe autistic Jimmy? An angel? Impossible.

But Jimmy was looking back at the demon, face impassive, eyes narrowed, a long sharp looking silver blade suddenly in his hand. Dean’s eyebrows almost disappeared into his hair.

“Oh whoa!” the demon said catching sight of the knife, “No need for that. Come on man, you had to know that you’d be found out sooner or later.”

Dean stared from one to the other, unable to believe what was happening. They’d had an _angel_ in the camp. All this time. All this time Dean had thought he was well hidden, that his brother was not even a contender anymore…and here were these two; angel and demon, still trying to pull their strings.

Fuck.

Dean strode toward the door, opening it with unnecessary force then cut his eyes to Jimmy.

“Follow me,” he growled, stomping out into the yard and heading for his quarters. Nobody else needed to hear this conversation.

“Dean!”

He’d know that voice anywhere. Now was not the time. He hastened his stride.

“Dean wait!”

He could hear footsteps coming fast. Sam was either running or walking really fast. Dean sighed, stopped, turned.

“Can I help you?” he asked as Sam came skidding to a halt in front of him. Behind his brother, he saw Jimmy stop as well, striking blue eyes staring fixedly.

“Really? After all this time that’s all you can say to me? Can I help you?” Sam stared disbelievingly at him.

“If I recall correctly, you’re the one who wanted nothing to do with me, so…?”

Sam had the grace to flush; still he took a deep breath as if to dismiss their entire history now that they were both here now – or some other new age-y shit like that. He opened his mouth no doubt to tell Dean about how much in the past it all was, but Dean wasn’t in the mood to hear it.

“I’m busy right now. Can we do this another time?” he said cutting Sam off at the pass and without waiting for an answer spun on his heel and continued walking. He could hear Jimmy’s measured step behind him but not Sam. Seemed he’d managed to finally stop his brother in his tracks.

Hoorah.

Now all he had to do was make him leave. Maybe he could ask Bobby to take him in.

He opened the door to his quarters and stepped aside so that Jimmy could pass. He closed the door firmly behind him before turning to Jimmy.

“So…an angel?”

Jimmy was silent.

“What? Cat got your tongue? Talk.”

“Dean, this isn’t…I wasn’t…this is not what it looks like.”

“Oh yeah? Do tell me what it looks like _Jimmy_ , if that even is your name.”

Jimmy sighed, “It is the name of my vessel, yes.” He said.

Dean stared. In spite of everything, he had still been expecting Jimmy to deny the ridiculous accusation the demon had thrown at him.

“Your…vessel?”

“Yes. His name is Jimmy Novak, but my name is Castiel.”

Dean spun around, hand on his forehead, eyes wide with shock. He needed to sit down.

“And you’re an angel?” he asked, grateful that his voice remained steady.

“Yes.”

Dean closed his eyes and sank slowly onto the stool in front of him, “I see. You’re here to…?”

“Keep watch over the Michael sword of course.”

“Of course.”

“Until when? Lucifer gets out or…?”

“Yes.”

“And then what? You kidnap me? Stuff your leader into me like some Christmas stocking?”

Jimmy stared at him, eyes narrowing in seeming concern, “Of course not. Michael would never force you.” He said.

Dean huffed a laugh, “Yeah sure he wouldn’t. That’s why he has one of his foot soldiers watching me.”

“I…it’s for your own protection,” Castiel said.

“ _My own protection_?”

“You are number one on the demons’ hit list. You know this…”

“Oh I see. And you’re my own personal bodyguard?”

“Something like that, yes.”

Dean ran a hand down his face in frustration.

“If you are who you say you are, you must have known who walked into camp this morning. You must have known who accompanied him. _Why did you let them in_?”

“I…couldn’t blow my cover. And I knew the camp was more than capable of handling a couple of low level demons. Besides, if we have Lucifer’s vessel, it means they don’t.”

“Great. Good to know. Now I want you to leave. Right now.”

“Dean…”

“Leave.”

“You need me.”

“Oh I think I’ll do alright all by myself. Now get out of my fucking camp.”

“Dean, you know that if it’s not me, he’ll just send someone else. Don’t you think it’s better if I stay? At least you’ll know who you’re dealing with.”

Dean huffed in annoyance but he had to concede that this…Castiel had a point. For all he knew the next guy could be worse.

“Fine. Stay. But stay the hell away from me.”

“Noted.” Jimmy seemed to take the order quite literally as he hurried to the door and let himself out.

∞

“Sam!”

He turned around to see Leslie hurrying toward him. He didn’t really want to see her right now; still reeling from his brother’s words. Dean hated him now. Hell, he couldn’t even _look_ at him. If you had asked Sam a day ago if it was possible for Dean to turn away from him like that he would have laughed in your face. He was the one who pushed people away; Dean was forever forgiving. Even when he didn’t mean it, he let shit go. That was just who he was. This cold, distant stranger was someone Sam had never met. This guy was not Dean Winchester. Not the Dean Sam knew anyway. He took a deep breath as Leslie stopped by his side.

“Sam we need to get in to see my father. What are they doing to him?”

“It’s not your father anymore Leslie.” Sam said tiredly.

“Yes he is, yes he is, just because he’s…possessed doesn’t mean he’s not still in there. Sam we have to help him.”

Sam nodded. He could sympathize with Leslie’s need to help her family. He just didn’t see what he could do about it. Dean had him; and Dean was apparently not interested in speaking to Sam. He was surprised to realize that it was like a cold spike in his heart to think about how Dean had dismissed him. He’d always figured he’d have time. Time to reach out to his brother. To apologize for blaming him for things that weren’t his fault. Now everything had gone to shit and maybe it was too late for them.

He was shaking his head even as he thought it.

How could it be too late? They hadn’t even had a conversation. He just had to bide his time, find the right time.

“Leslie? I know you want to help your father, but we have to tread carefully here you understand? We brought demons into the camp.”

“But…you said that was your brother!”

“A brother I haven’t seen in too long. We’re not close Leslie. He’s not gonna make any concessions for me. We gotta be patient.”

Leslie moved as if to step around him, “Maybe I could try. He went that way right?”

Sam’s hand whipped out and closed around Leslie’s arm without thought, “No! You can’t do that.”

“Why not Sam? Why can’t I talk to your brother?”

“Leslie please trust me on this. _Give him some time_.”

Leslie pouted prettily at him but stood down, “Alright then, but we’re gonna talk to him soon right?”

“Yes.” Sam said even though he didn’t mean it.


	3. Ash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam gets the lay of the land.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I been busy and sick. Still busy, but not sick. Hopefully back to regularly scheduled programming.

Sam walked toward the sound of music emanating from a rustic wooden structure that stood a ways from the media centre where he had been attempting to catch up with the news. The centre had several radios picking up satellite stations that were still apparently on air. Most were run by individuals giving updates on their situations. Some were run by communities just like the camp; where they’d organized themselves and had some semblance of order. There was no active Internet but they had computers and they had solar power. There was a sort of intranet where archived files could be accessed.

“How did you guys do all this?” Sam asked the woman sitting at the next computer.

She smiled over at him, “Ash.” She said.

“Ash?” Sam asked mystified. Was it some sort of code word?

“He’s a hippy genius. He set up the intranet we have and the communications systems…”

“Oh. He’s a guy.” Sam said.

“Yeah.”

“Which one is he?” Sam asked looking around for a nerdy twitchy guy with too big specs perhaps.

“Oh he isn’t here. At this time he’s usually in the roadhouse.”

“And where’s that?”

“Not far,” the woman said with a smirk, “Just follow the sound of jukebox music.”

“Oh. It’s a bar.”

“Yeah... How long have you _been_ in the compound?”

Sam smiled sadly, “Not long.”

“Well, don’t worry. You’ll find your feet eventually. Find where you’re most useful.”

“Yeah, of course. Thanks.” Sam said with a smile as he stood up.

“Hey, I’m Amelia by the way,” the woman said.

“Sam.”

“Nice to meet you Sam.”

“You too Amelia.”

∞

Taylor Swift.

They were playing Tay Tay at the honky tonk looking bar.

What the ever-loving fuck?

Sam stepped into the space, looking around. The room was peppered with people, some of whom even looked familiar. None of them looked like an Ash.

Then his eyes fell on the most eighties looking faux hawk he’d ever seen, body hunched over what was definitely a laptop-like electronic device. He took a hesitant step toward the man, when he heard a whistle to his left. His head whipped around to see Leslie sitting with the socially awkward guy who’d let them into the camp. A third guy, the one who had whistled Sam suspected because Leslie didn’t whistle and he somehow didn’t see awkward guy doing so, sat with them. Sam cast one more longing glance at Ash and then changed direction.

“Hey Pumpkin, where were you going?” Leslie asked palm coming to rest on Sam’s chiseled abs.

“Uh, I was just uh, going to meet the tech guy?”

“Who Ash?” third guy said, “He’s not really that social.”

Sam lifted an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, I’m Travis by the way,” third guy said holding out his hand to be shaken. Sam looked down at it and considered just ignoring it but…manners and all. He reached out, shaking the guy’s hand firmly, professional smile in place, making eye contact.

“Please to meet you,” he rumbled. Leslie was still rubbing her palm gently against his abs. for some reason he wanted to step away from her and ask her to quit it. So he leaned in and let her go to town.

“And you’re the guard at the gate,” he said to the awkward guy, holding out his hand.

“My name is Jimmy.” He said making no effort to shake Sam’s hand.

“Hey Jimmy, pleased to meet you.” Sam turned the aborted handshake into a wave.

“So umm. Les, I see you making friends.”

“Travis and Jimmy were just telling me about how the camp works and how likely we are to get my dad back.”

Sam’s heart sank. He completely understood why Leslie was so relentless but it was a pain in his ass.

“Hey, why don’t I go over and have a word with Ash, and then I’ll go and tackle talking to Dean directly huh?” he proposed.

Leslie’s eyes brightened, “Really? Tonight?”  
“Yes.”

“Aww Sam, you are the best.”

Sam stretched his lips in a smile and accepted the wet kiss Leslie pressed to his mouth. Then he turned away and went to introduce himself to the guy with all the tech. He took a detour through the bartender and got another bottle of whatever Ash was drinking. He expected that he might be asked for payment in cash or kind but the bartender simply handed the bottle over.

Sam’s eyebrows lifted internally but he took the bottle and walked away, putting it in the ‘ain’t broke’ column. He slid into the stool next to Ash and waited until the other man looked up.

“Hey.” He said.

Ash just stared.

“I got you a beer,” Sam said handing it over.

Ash beamed, “My man,” he said grabbing the beer and taking a long pull from it, “So. What can I do you for?”

Sam opened his mouth and then closed it again. He’d been hoping to ease into this. Maybe get the man drunk a bit.

“Uh…” he said, “I was curious about how you do what you do. Someone told me you built your own intranet.”

Ash’s eyebrows rose, “What of it?”

Sam shrugged, “Just curious I guess. Do you mind me asking how long you’ve been here?”

Ash regarded him with a steady surprisingly insightful gaze. Sam wasn’t expecting it from a man with a faux hawk.

“You’re Sam Winchester,” he said.

Sam’s eyebrows rose, “Yes I am. Sorry I should have introduced myself.”

Ash looked back at his laptop and pressed a few buttons. There was a beeping sound and then quiet.

“So…what do you want to know Sam Winchester?”

Sam took a deep breath, “Well, you might know that I just came in today. It’s rough out there to survive on your own. Been looking for my brother forever it seems. No one seemed to know where he was. Then I find out he’s some kind of militia leader,” Sam huffed a laugh, shaking his head, “It’s crazy. I just…anything you can tell me would be welcome. I feel like I’m being stonewalled at every turn and I don’t even know why.”

Ash continued to regard him silently for a while.

“You wanna know how I met your brother?” he asked at last.

Sam nodded but didn’t say anything lest he discourage Ash from talking. Ash’s eyelids fell and he looked to be rather far away.

“My boyfriend was infected by the croats. He came home to our lil’ shack we were livin’ in one evenin’, shook me awake and told me to leave. That I didn’t have much time. That there was a whole colony of Croats nearby and they would be coming for me.”

“But why me?” I asked, “Why can’t we both go?”

“Because I’ve been bit Ash. I can feel it churning through my blood. Pretty soon I’ll be too far gone and I _will_ attack you. You gotta go now.”

Ash swallowed, staring down at the table top, face bleak. Sam sat silently by him. So many people had lost people to Croatoan. This was the first case Sam had heard of an infected warning a loved one.

“There was no _time_.” Ash looked up into Sam’s eyes, his own shining with unshed tears, “I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

His voice was choked at the end of the sentence. However long ago this had been, it wasn’t long enough to forget. Sam reached out, patting Ash’s hand briefly before sitting back and still again.

“I just picked up my laptop and ran you know? It wasn’t even…it was just the thing that was nearest. I tried to get as far as I could be of course they found me. They followed me. Connor led them to me. He knew me. He knew how to track me. Even as a monster, he still knew me well enough to catch me.”

“I barricaded myself in a shack, covered the entrance with furniture and such. I knew they would get me eventually. There was nowhere for me to go. I didn’t even want to live without Connor. But…that goddamned will to live, huh?” Ash cast a glance at Sam as if to commiserate with him on their still being alive after all this.

“Yeah,” Sam whispered in agreement.

“So I had my laptop in my hand and I just suddenly got this idea to broadcast an SOS. In case anyone was close. In case anyone cared. I didn’t think anyone would care even if they heard it, but I had to do _something_.”

Sam nodded, leaning forward, completely absorbed in the story.

“Well the croats had got their hands on some sort of battering rams. At least whatever they were using was batting hard at the door and the walls. Pretty soon, they would have me. I sat down and just…waited.”

Ash stopped again, staring into space and Sam wanted to prod him to continue but he knew better than to interrupt.

“That’s when the gunshots started.”

Sam jumped; he didn’t know if it was at the words or at Ash suddenly speaking after a while.

“Next thing I knew, someone’s knocking on the door.”

“Anyone in there? He asked in his gruff deep voice just daring you to not answer. You know the voice I mean?” Ash looked up at Sam as if expecting an answer so he nodded slowly. It wasn’t true though. He _didn’t_ know that voice. Five years ago, Dean was some small time hunter, his voice was barely broken and he didn’t need to shave every day. He wasn’t a man. He was a boy pretending. _This_ Dean though…he could imagine that _this_ Dean could sound like he would brook no opposition.

 Just like dad.

He guessed Dean would be proud of that…

“He opened the door and there was this…pile of bodies. Dead croats. I didn’t look. I didn’t wanna see Connor like that. Just walked in front of Dean to his jeep. Let him check me for cuts or bites, got in quietly.”

There was another extended silence.

“He let me be for two days before he called me to his office and asked me about the signal I transmitted. If I could do it again. What else I could do…”

“You owed him...” Sam ventured to say.

Ash shook his head, “No. this isn’t about who owes who what or keeping score. This is about survival and what skill you can contribute to make continued survival of the species possible.”

Sam nodded his understanding.

“So. Sam Winchester. What _can_ you do? Cause ain’t nobody need a lawyer around here.”

Sam stared at Ash.

“You really do know a lot about me. Is it common knowledge in the camp or just you?”

“It’s me and Dean. He asked me to keep an eye out for you.”

“Why?”

“None of your business.”

“He doesn’t even want to see me. Why would he ask you to-“

“There are bigger things afoot than your family drama young padawan. If you want to know more than that, you should speak to your brother.”

Sam nodded once.

“I will do that. Where can I find him?”

Ash laughed, “Oh no no no. You find him, on your own Sam Winchester. I am not getting in the middle of that.” He turned his head slightly looking over Sam’s shoulder, “Aaand it looks like your fiancée is done waiting. It was nice talkin’ Sam Winchester,” Ash said with a wave and turned back to his laptop.

Sam stood up before Leslie could reach him and went to meet her halfway.

“You promised you’d let me handle him on my own,” he said before she could open her mouth.

She huffed and then pouted.

“I’m going to look for him now. Stay here or wait for me in our bunker.” He said and then walked away before she could answer.

 _‘Fucking Coward,’_ he heard quite clearly in his mind, but he wasn’t sure who said it.

 

 

 

 


	4. Let's Talk Bro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam finds Dean at last.

Sam walked around the camp, trying to guess where Dean might be at this time of day. He didn’t know who his brother was anymore. There was no frame of reference for him to work with. He turned a corner and saw that the pathway began to climb. He could not see the perimeter fence from where he was, but he figured if he climbed up the small hill directly in front of him, he might be able to see pretty far. He walked faster, wanting to reach the peak before it got too dark. The sun was setting and he could not see any floodlights. So it would probably be pitch black outside soon and he did not have so much as a torch on him. He increased his pace.

The view from the top of the hill was spectacular. He could see quite far to the horizon. The landscape outside the camp was bleak yet beautiful. Like a child’s playroom left behind when he grew up, it seemed strangely discarded yet once well loved.

Sam shook his head, wondering where that poetry had come from.

“Sam?”

He knew that voice, that tone. Dean used it a lot between when Sam was between the ages of 15 and 18. Maybe he’d just had a fight with his dad and had stomped off to sulk about how no one understood him. Or he’d get a B in a test he expected to ace and was angsting about it at dinner. It was the Dean-Managing-Sam voice. He _hated_ the Dean-managing-Sam voice.

He turned to see his brother poised as if to climb at the foot of the hill.

“Hey,” he said, voice coming out hoarse.

“What you doing?” Dean asked narrowing his eyes as if he was suspicious of Sam.   _Of Sam_!

“I was looking for you actually,” Sam said beginning to descend.

“Well, you found me.”

“Mmm,” Sam said eyes on his feet. He didn’t want to fall flat on his face in front of the brother who apparently hated him now so his focus was on putting one foot in front of the other without slipping. Dean watched him come without a word and Sam was grateful for that. His heart was already pounding with anxiety as to what exactly he could say to his brother to remove this distance between them and get him what he needed.

As he stepped foot on flat ground, Dean whipped around and began to walk away. Sam watched him, for a moment stupefied before he followed at a bit of a trot so he could catch up.

“Dean?” he called as his long legs failed to close the gap between them.

“Yeah?” Dean replied not even turning to look at him.

“Can you stop? Can we talk?”

“Sure we can. Just not here.”

“Okay…” Sam huffed a bit, ashamed to find he was out of breath. His brother moved fast.

They rounded a small hill and in front of them was a tiny wooden cabin. Sam followed Dean as he loped toward it, falling further and further behind with every step. Then Dean was opening the door and leaving it ajar for him to follow.

“When is a door not a door?” Sam muttered to himself as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

“When it’s ajar,” Dean replied, his voice laced with the slightest hint of amusement. Sam jumped. How had Dean even heard what he said? He was all the way across the – admittedly tiny – room.

“You want to see your girlfriend’s father,” Dean said without further preamble.

Sam almost bit his tongue in surprise, “Uh yeah, ah, I mean Leslie would like to see her father,” he said wondering how Dean even knew any of this.

“This is my camp. You think I don’t know what goes on in it?” Dean said.

Sam’s eyebrows disappeared beneath his bangs, “Do you read minds?”

Dean laughed, low and bitter, “I’m not the one that’s psychic Sammy.”

_Sammy._

It was weird to hear Dean call him that. He’d thought that pet name was retired forever for sure.

“Wait. What?”

Dean turned away with a tired sigh, “When we finish interrogating him, we’ll exorcise the demon. If there’s anything left of the man, you can have him.” He said.

Sam swallowed, “Thanks.”

“After that, you should probably leave,” Dean continued.

The hurt was…unexpected. Not that it existed, but the depth of it.

“W-why?”

“You don’t belong here, Sam.”

“Where do I belong then? In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s an apocalypse going on out there!”

“You should go to Bobby,” Dean said ignoring Sam’s upset.  He turned around facing Sam, eyes cold.

“What _happened_ to you man?” Sam asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Dean turned away, “Life happened Sam. You can go now.”

Sam stared at Dean’s back, at a total loss of what to do. Suddenly the ground began to shake beneath their feet and booming noises could be heard from the camp. Dean grabbed his handgun and ran for the door. He hesitated for a moment, turning to face Sam, “Get your wife. Hide.” He said before disappearing out the door.

∞

Sam hesitated for less than a moment before plunging out the door after Dean. He didn’t head for the bar, where Leslie was. He ran after Dean, who he knew would head to the thick of the explosions. He caught up with his brother as he rounded the mound of the hill he’d been standing on and came to an abrupt halt when he saw what was happening.

Camp Chitaqua was in an uproar of explosions. They were under attack.

“Dean!” Sam called as he saw his brother leaping forward, right in the path of an oncoming tank. Suddenly his brother was airborne, flying b _ackwards_ , right toward Sam.

Sam watched him come with his mouth open and then lifted his hands and Dean stopped falling so fast, falling gently to the earth a few feet in front of Sam.

Sam ran forward, bending to check his brother over.

“Are you okay? What was that?” he asked Dean even as he tried to open his shirt to check for broken ribs.

Dean pushed his hands off, sitting up irritably as he regarded Sam.

“What do you mean ‘what was that’?” he asked in breathless disbelief.

“What did that? Blew you back like that?” Sam asked returning his hands to Dean’s shoulders, looking for any signs of bleeding.

Dean stilled, head cocked to the side like he was super puzzled, “ _You_ did Sam. You did that.” He said.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is end of part one because apparently, I can't write short fics.


End file.
